Thursday, July 31, 2008

Several months ago, students at Summit Middle School in Edmond donated books for the children's library I helped launch in Meru, Kenya. Above is a picture of one of the drop off sites at the school. I went there with file boxes and the kids threw the books into my boxes. Those boxes have been sitting at my church and now I'm finally sorting through the boxes and repacking them tightly in preparation for their being shipping to Kenya.

I am actually going to store the boxes in a donated storage unit for a while until I have enough boxes of donated books to fill a 20 foot shipping container. I'd mail the books to Kenya but the postal rate is $1 per pound plus most of what gets mailed to Kenya of any value never arrives at it's destination. Also, there is much rigmarole involved in getting a waiver on books (otherwise I'd have to pay import tax on the assumption the books were for resale in Kenya). It involves getting papers signed by the Secretary of Finance and the Secretary of Education, bribes to officials at the Port of Mombasa and bribes to policemen who stop our truck between the port and Meru... I'm willing to jump through those hoops once for a 20 foot shipping container but not numerous times for smaller shipments.

If you know a middle school that would consider a service project of donating books for the community library located on the campus of the Kaaga School for Hearing Impaired Children in Central Kenya, please have a teacher or school official get in touch with me. My Kenya connection, the remarkable Florence Mubichi, and I will come to the school and show pictures and talk about the need for books and our goal of creating a culture of reading for children of Kenya. Thanks.

FYI, the first picture is my living room hearth where the repacking process has just begun. I am trying to bring home and repack 5-8 boxes a day. I keep wanting to hold back what I consider hugely culturally inappropriate books while my 7th grade language arts school teacher daughter insists we send almost everything donated. I have talked her into letting me set aside the "Adventures of Mary Kate and Ashley" series and the "Girl Talk" ("Allison's a model!") series. But Pokemon, Captain Underpants and Scooby-Doo are going to Kenya!

7/1/08"... I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move." - Matthew 17:20

Inspired by a true story, this delightfully innovative children’s story was written for seven-year-old Mary Ann, a little Amish girl who had just been diagnosed with cancer. As Mary Ann lay awaiting the first of many chemotherapy treatments, in walked a complete stranger bearing a cuddly bundle of fur named “Faith.” Faith arrived at Mary Ann’s bedside hoping to become her “bestest” friend and traveling company for the long journey ahead.

This tender story will guide you through Faith’s creation at Build-A-Bear Workshop and her many adventures on an Amish farm. Written and illustrated by two women from Oklahoma, Melyanna Hewitt and illus by Kelly Brown, A Story of Faith spearheads a fund raising effort on Mary Ann’s behalf. Your purchase of this book will help pay a portion of Mary Ann’s medical expenses. For more information, visit the website http://www.storyoffaith.com/faith/

Friday, July 25, 2008

Sheila Spurgeon has a doctorate in educational psychology and has taught at five universities but she has always had a special place in her heart for historical preservation. Now, as the new executive director of Preservation Oklahoma Inc, she is a key player in preserving Okahoma's architectural treasures. Read about her in this July 20 Oklahoman article entitled "Historic homes get shot at future."

Thursday, July 24, 2008

My husband belongs to the Oklahoma City Downtown Rotary(Club 29) which meets every Tuesday at noon. I have lots of female friends who also belong and one of them, Meg Salyer -- who won the Journal Record's Woman of the Year in 2003, served as president of Club 29 a few years back. So I keep an eye on the organization - wondering if they will ever have a second female president and hoping that a few of their speakers will be females over the course of a year (other than Sherri Coale, that is).

So I was pleased to hear that Jo Ann Pearce, Executive Director of A Chance to Change Foundation, spoke to Club 29 this week. Her organization was founded in 1979 and works with individuals who are affected by chemical dependency and related behavioral disorders. She has an awesome resume and word is she gave a very good talk. Yes!

Monday, July 21, 2008

Carolyn Stager, who broke a glass ceiling when she assumed the helm of the Oklahoma Municipal League this month, is a remarkable survivor of the May 3, 1999 tornado. The Oklahoman ran an article on her July 20, 2008 entitled "For first time, woman to lead Oklahoma Municipal League." Congratulations, Carolyn!

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Mike Korenblit spoke to my Sunday school class this morning. The son of Holocaust survivors, Mike grew up in Ponca City, worked 19 years with the Close Up Foundation in Washington, D.C. and moved back to Oklahoma in 1992. He is co-author of the book Until We Meet Again: A True Story of Love and Survival in the Holocaust, the story of his parents Manya and Meyer Korenblit. He and his wife, Joan, are co-founders of the Respect Diversity Foundation, a non-profit organization that teaches tolerance and inspires people of all ages and backgrounds to reevaluate their prejudices and biases. The foundation is headquartered in Edmond.

The foundation sponsors an annual state-wide Respect Diversity Symbol Exhibitwith art collaborations, by students, that teach the community respect for diversity through the arts. Children across Oklahoma do an amazing job of reflecting the concept of respecting diversity visually. Not an easy thing to do. I have posted just a few of the great art it generates.

That got me thinking. I have heard a rumor that the Oklahoma City NBA basketball team will be called "the Oklahoma City Thunder." But how does one depict thunder visually?

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Edith Suiter, Geraldine Suiter's daughter-in-law, in Duncan reports that there is so much more to Geraldine's story than I managed to mention HERE. You can find some of it at her online obituary HERE. Edith says there is property in Tillman County that has passed through the generations being owned ONLY by women in Geraldine's family. Imagine that. Let's hear it for empowering women! She did indeed have a passion for life; thanks, Pam, for hooking me up with Edith.

Tulsa attorney Deborah Ann Browers Barnes was sworn in July 9, 2008 as a judge on the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals. Click here to read Tulsa World article. She was sworn in by her father-in-law and former state Supreme Court Justice Don Barnes. I don't think family got her the post though since Gov. Henry selected Barnes from a recommendation list that was compiled by the Oklahoma Judicial Nominating Commission. Having served on one of those, I assure you they strive to pick the best QUALIFIED applicants! (I was appointed to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals Judicial Nominating Commission by President Jimmy Carter - that's how old I am!) Barnes replaces John Reif of Skiatook who Governor Henry named to the Oklahoma Supreme Court last October.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

The Oklahoman has an article by Ron Jackson today on Geraldine Suiter. She lived near Tipton, Oklahoma for over 92 years and died recently at age 98. She was an Oklahoma pioneer; click here to read the article. Raised in a log cabin; great friend and family member; first female basketball coach in Tillman County; a long career as an educator - this is a wonderful legacy for an Oklahoma pioneer woman.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Forty-Sixth Star Press, a wonderful new Oklahoma publishing company, focuses on telling Oklahoma's story. As part of their "Oklahoma Portraits Series," they recently published It wasn't Much: Ten True Tales of Oklahoma Heroes by Jana Hausburg with portraits by Cheryl Delany. I loved this book!

Aimed at a young audience, this collection of short biographies tells of ten Oklahomans who have contributed in big as well as small ways to the state, the nation and the world. I am delighted that half the Oklahomans featured are women.

Oklahoma historians, parents, teachers and librarians, you will want to add this book to your collection. I plan to take several copies with me next time I travel to Kenya to add to our library collections in Meru! Here are a few locations where It Wasn’t Much: True Tales of Ten Oklahoma Heroes is available in Oklahoma City:

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

After more than ten years with the Oklahoma Community Institute, Dana Shadid stepped down as Executive Director July 1. She said,

I am excited about slowing down a bit and I am more excited about thefuture of OCI. The organization has come a long way since 1995 when NanceDiamond and the original board of directors acted on their vision of anorganization that focused on empowering local citizens to improve their owncommunities. Working with some great board members and staff, I have donewhat I can to continue to build on that vision. Now it is my pleasure topass that on to someone else to ensure that OCI continues to work for Oklahomacitizens!

The OCI board selected Jodi Lewis -- current Director of Development and Planning -- to move into the role of Executive Director. Their press release read:

In addition to her work at the Community Institute, Jodi serves on the CityCouncil for the City of Piedmont and the board of Places, a Piedmont voluntaryorganization that supports the city library and other cultural activities. Shewas recently named to the board of United Way of Canadian County. She was alsoselected as one of OKC Business's 40 Under 40 this year. Jodi is a graduate ofOklahoma State University with a BS in Agribusiness. Jodi brings an enthusiasmand commitment to the position that will serve the organization and Oklahomacommunities very well.

Sunday, July 06, 2008

The Oklahoman Sunday ran a nice story about Mustang-based Marolyn Pryor Realtors merging with firms in Tulsa and Sapulpa to form Coldwell Banker Select. With 20 offices and 700 real estate agents statewide, it is the largest real estate firm in Oklahoma. Pryor is a former school teacher who got into real estate in 19977. She is president of the Oklahoma City Metro Association of realtors. Nice work, Marolyn! You can read the article here.

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

The board overseeing how $22 million in improvements to Ford Center get spent includes three remarkable Oklahoma city women leaders -- Louise Alexander, Nancy Anthony and Ann Simank. Alexander ran unsuccessfully for the Ward 4 city council seat in 2005. A retiree, she works as a community volunteer. Anthony is executive director of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation and has been a member of the Metropolitan Library Commission for more than 30 years. Simank represents Ward 6 on the city council. Her ward extends from NW 23 on the north to SW 44 on the south. She has been a council member since 1995. You can read The Oklahoman article here.